Top Five Most Used Pop-Up Displays For Trade Show Exhibiting

Today’s frames expand to larger sizes allowing a full 10-foot wide exhibit to be transported in a relatively small case. Most 10-foot pop-up displays weigh less than 90 pounds in their case; this typically includes the fabric, lights and vertical bars. Pop-ups come in a variety of sizes with a number of different options to give consumers greater flexibility when planning for their trade show booths. Within the industry there are 5 common types:

1. Standard Pop-up Displays 2. Photo Mural Pop-up Displays 3. Fabric Mural Pop-up Displays 4. Commercial Pop-up Displays 5. 3-D Style Pop-up Displays

1. Standard Pop-up Displays – The most common pop-up available, Standard Pop-ups are generally a 10-foot wide, curved design. They are made up of a light-weight aluminum frame, individual aluminum, PVC or steel channel bars, Velcro fabric panels (Frontrunner or Prelude), and a thermo molded shipping case with wheels. The case can usually be converted into a podium and most pop-up packages also include two 200-watt halogen lights. The price range for the Standard 10-foot, Curved Pop-up runs $995-$2995 depending on the vendor.

2. Photo Mural Pop-up Displays – This display is just like a Standard Popup but has photo mural panels instead of Velcro fabric panels. Photo murals have a greater appeal as they have powerful large-format graphics that attract attention. Photo Mural Pop-ups are more expensive because of the photo panels, but still are just as lightweight and portable as Standard Pop-ups. Be aware, there are many types of panel printing offered for this type of pop-up which will change the price dramatically, from the most expensive DURST LAMBDA to inexpensive ink-jet processes. Prices run from $2195-$5995 depending on the vendor and the print process selected.

3. Fabric Mural Pop-up Displays – A Fabric Mural Pop-up display offers the large images of a Photo Mural Pop-up without the cumbersome set up procedure. The fabric mural is pre-attached to the frame, making set-up much easier than the Standard or Photo Mural Pop-up and they weigh less than half of what a Standard 10-foot Pop-up weighs. The fabric usually gets wrinkled during transport but this can be remedied by stretching and steaming. This pop-up comes curved or non-curved and can be transported in a lightweight nylon bag or a hard shipping case. The print process needed for Fabric Mural Pop-ups is important as they are generally viewed as a lower quality graphic than what is found on Standard Pop-ups but this is not always the case depending on the vendor. Prices for these pre-attached models with fabric faces run $1695-$4995, depending on the vendor and print process chosen.

4. Commercial Pop-up Displays – Less common because they are more expensive, Commercial Pop-ups come in different shapes–straight or curved–and in many widths. This display is built to be sturdier and can take far more abuse than the standard pop-up making it a good choice for companies that travel and exhibit often. There are only a few brands that may be labeled "commercial" as the tendency in the marketplace has been to make pop-up exhibits lighter and less expensive to own. Commercial pop-up displays typically include a heavy weight frame with nylon connectors, folding steel channel bars, Velcro panels (Frontrunner or Prelude), and the choice of 1 or 2 thermo molded shipping cases with wheels. Prices generally run $1795-$3495 depending on the vendor.

5. 3-D Style Pop-up Displays – These are the newest entries to the pop-up market; essentially, they are the fabric style, pre-attached, graphic pop-up with a twist. 3-D Pop-ups come in different shapes, from square to round and even trapezoidal, and have graphics attached to the framework to give a three dimensional effect. Because the graphics are already on the frame, set up of a 3-D Pop-up is simple and quick. The graphics are also easily removable and replaceable making updating the display less costly than creating a new display. 3-D pop-up display prices run $995-$8995 depending on the shape, numbers of graphics and print process used.

As you can see, there are a lot of choices and many things to consider when selecting a pop-up display system. What is most important to keep in mind is how often you will be using the display. This will help you decide how durable you need the pop-up display to be, how easy it should be to set up and how lightweight it should be for transporting from trade show to trade show.

About The Author: Chad Leiffert is the Sales Manager for Midland Display Products. For over 23 years Midland Display has been a leader in the trade show display industry. Their website, www.midlanddisplay.com, provides trade show displays, booths, exhibits and accessories. Permission granted to reprint this with resource box and link to MidlandDisplay.com.